I have been diving deeper into MAXScripting over the past few evenings with the help of John Wainwrights MAXscript 101, Maxscript and the SDK for MAX and of course good old fashioned real world need and experience.
While still learning the ins/outs of MXS it has already saved countless hours in repetitive tasks. In many ways it reminds me of a blend of AutoCAD scripting and Lisp/Visual Lisp. Simple enough for anyone to start with and enough power to do most anything (including your own plug-ins).
Hopefully Steven and I can get some more scripts and tutorials written over the next few weeks to get the VIZ community aware of how powerful this can be.
While on the subject of MXS and coding, I need to give a big thanks to Dave Espinosa-Aguilar (Autodesk and Toxic Frog Multimedia) for the great class at this past Autodesk University and the push to get into MAXScripting. Speaking of Toxic Frog it looks like the new website is coming soon with plenty of links for visitors and more.....
happy coding...
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Welcome fellow blogger....
Chris Yanchar (ADT Product Designer and notable Brain Dump host) now has his new web presence up and running here.
I look forward to what Chris has to offer and share with everyone through this resource. Keep up the great work!!!
happy blogging...
I look forward to what Chris has to offer and share with everyone through this resource. Keep up the great work!!!
happy blogging...
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
New Releases
Well is's official AutoCAD LT 2005, AutoCAD 2005 and Architectural Desktop 2005 are on the way. I will leave it to the great responses and posts of others to explain some of the many benefits.
Shaan Hurley, Lee Ambrosius, Terry Dotson and many others on the way.....
happy cadding...
Shaan Hurley, Lee Ambrosius, Terry Dotson and many others on the way.....
happy cadding...
Saturday, February 14, 2004
Render me Red
Happy Valentines Day all.
Recently we moved the EVAUG website to a new host and are now with Frank Zander at Corbimite. The move make it possible for info to be updated most anytime by our web authors. The new e-mail addresses have been updated and now the site cleaning begins. Stayed up way to late updating the site contents and publishing the first few sections for a partial site change. This will tie into the interface change we are planning, for now this is just a face lift.
Based on a response from Frank, I played around with FrontPage 2003 for the first time since release 2000 last night, but I still prefer Dreamweaver. Though the interface is simple, there are just some tools in DW that I prefer for production work, not to mention interfacing with Fireworks and Flash.
Now back to getting some rendering and a coding tutorial done for MXS.
happy valentines day...
Recently we moved the EVAUG website to a new host and are now with Frank Zander at Corbimite. The move make it possible for info to be updated most anytime by our web authors. The new e-mail addresses have been updated and now the site cleaning begins. Stayed up way to late updating the site contents and publishing the first few sections for a partial site change. This will tie into the interface change we are planning, for now this is just a face lift.
Based on a response from Frank, I played around with FrontPage 2003 for the first time since release 2000 last night, but I still prefer Dreamweaver. Though the interface is simple, there are just some tools in DW that I prefer for production work, not to mention interfacing with Fireworks and Flash.
Now back to getting some rendering and a coding tutorial done for MXS.
happy valentines day...
Monday, February 09, 2004
Highs and Lows
Its amazing that some days can seem to be a drudge then a series of events happen that instead of getting you down actually make you laugh and appreciate what you have. Today was one of them for me. I will not share the whole crazy ordeal with you but I can say that I have a large smile on my face before bed thanks to good friends and of course my beautiful wife. :)
Currently testing a Linux distro called Knoppix that has me impressed so far. I have always used windows for my production and private work, but the UNIX concept and customization intrigues me. A good friend once said that Linux is like AutoCAD in that it is customizable. As much as I like to use, customize, enhance, tweak, code and more with AutoCAD/ADT I look forward to seeing what can be done with this.
Code wise between last night and earlier this evening I got the latest .vbs admin routine working with some help from Jimmy B. There are quite a few items on his site for AutoCAD 2004 users that you should check out, not to mention the JTB FlexReport tool.
Well thats just the tip of the iceberg of things to come soon.
stay happy and keep up the great work....
Currently testing a Linux distro called Knoppix that has me impressed so far. I have always used windows for my production and private work, but the UNIX concept and customization intrigues me. A good friend once said that Linux is like AutoCAD in that it is customizable. As much as I like to use, customize, enhance, tweak, code and more with AutoCAD/ADT I look forward to seeing what can be done with this.
Code wise between last night and earlier this evening I got the latest .vbs admin routine working with some help from Jimmy B. There are quite a few items on his site for AutoCAD 2004 users that you should check out, not to mention the JTB FlexReport tool.
Well thats just the tip of the iceberg of things to come soon.
stay happy and keep up the great work....
Saturday, February 07, 2004
Resources
I was updating my own personal links to sites and resources that I find especially useful to share and ran across a CG resource from Neil Blevins that you may wish to review as well.
I have to give big props to the ADT development team as they continue to advance ADT to a useful product both in construction documents and as a modeling tool. One item that I find especially useful and love to share with others is property set definitions (PSD's), scheduling and formulas. Okay that's three items but they are heavily related to each other.
Starting with ADT2004 the use of formula's and VBScript snippets allow most anything to be done and reported with schedules. If you have not reviewed the use of scheduling you should spend some time in the help/tutorial files. Also be sure to check out the Property Data Enhancement from Scott Arvin (with Autodesk) and the Scheduling FAQ from William Fitzpatrick (with Autodesk) for a more indepth understanding.
happy cadding....
I have to give big props to the ADT development team as they continue to advance ADT to a useful product both in construction documents and as a modeling tool. One item that I find especially useful and love to share with others is property set definitions (PSD's), scheduling and formulas. Okay that's three items but they are heavily related to each other.
Starting with ADT2004 the use of formula's and VBScript snippets allow most anything to be done and reported with schedules. If you have not reviewed the use of scheduling you should spend some time in the help/tutorial files. Also be sure to check out the Property Data Enhancement from Scott Arvin (with Autodesk) and the Scheduling FAQ from William Fitzpatrick (with Autodesk) for a more indepth understanding.
happy cadding....
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Sharp like a pencil
No its the Dullest Blog in the World.
This is by far one of the funniest sites I have seen in a while. Thanks Kurt.
happy blogging...
This is by far one of the funniest sites I have seen in a while. Thanks Kurt.
happy blogging...
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
He Lives.....
What a busy week, after a security issue on the local home network we are now fully back up. After having been quiet for the past few weeks due to some personal/professional obligations my writing time is back and for those wondering the snowboarding trip a few days ago was great!
Recently received MaxScript 101 by John Wainwright. This is one of the best multi-media presentations I have seen to date. Well put together, well throught out and its from the guy who created the MaxScript language. I have been putting my head down and learning MaxScripting with a focus for VIZ and this is a great tool to complete your resource programming kit.
happy scripting...
Recently received MaxScript 101 by John Wainwright. This is one of the best multi-media presentations I have seen to date. Well put together, well throught out and its from the guy who created the MaxScript language. I have been putting my head down and learning MaxScripting with a focus for VIZ and this is a great tool to complete your resource programming kit.
happy scripting...
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Rendering without digital input
While I am waiting to get some work/updates completed on the rendering stations I have been working with Airbrushing and paintbrushes to get a better feel for how these non-digital techniques work. Airbrushing is going to take some more time... I knew I liked digital for a reason. :)
More tutorials, cadding, modeling and photography updates on the way soon.
Make sure you have your firewall and anti-virus software updated....
More tutorials, cadding, modeling and photography updates on the way soon.
Make sure you have your firewall and anti-virus software updated....
Monday, January 19, 2004
Down South
I have been in Tampa for the past few days for work and the more time I spend in this town the more I enjoy it. My favorite spot over the past few trips has been YBOR City. I always end up in this area during each trip, plenty of good food, entertainment and more.
Special thanks to Patrick for helping to make each trip a joy.
Tomorrow it's back to freezing temperatures....
happy rendering...
Special thanks to Patrick for helping to make each trip a joy.
Tomorrow it's back to freezing temperatures....
happy rendering...
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Reading is fundamental
I love books and reading, I admit that they are my downfall. Our house has many bookshelves, even my fishtank stands were designed to double as bookshelves. :)
My most recent purchase is The Complete Animation course by Chris Patmore. This book is more of a highlight of the many different practices for animation that are out there. It is a very simple read and has spurred a few ideas for me to try and think about to better my stills and animations.
One thing I am trying to work into my next animation project is the use of an oversized background, similar to how Disney (and others) used to do it with cel animation. This makes for a cool combination because you get a full "scene" that you can move your camera around in but with no worries of polygon face counts. I just need the right project looking for this style of work.
I was having a conversation with Miker the Biker about setting up a storyline in Architectural animations. I see it far too often that people just consider the software output to be good enough and give little to no thought about the camera angle, speed and what they are trying to show. I am not saying that you need to do full storyboards but you do need to consider why you are doing this animation. Is it being done to fill time and make it look like you have done more than you really have? Often times less is more.
Take for example the recent Mars trip, the animations that were done for this were top notch (check out MER entry). Good camera angles and often times the main character (the rocket ship) was in and out of the shot. That is my point of pushing the architectural stale look of animations further.
My most recent purchase is The Complete Animation course by Chris Patmore. This book is more of a highlight of the many different practices for animation that are out there. It is a very simple read and has spurred a few ideas for me to try and think about to better my stills and animations.
One thing I am trying to work into my next animation project is the use of an oversized background, similar to how Disney (and others) used to do it with cel animation. This makes for a cool combination because you get a full "scene" that you can move your camera around in but with no worries of polygon face counts. I just need the right project looking for this style of work.
I was having a conversation with Miker the Biker about setting up a storyline in Architectural animations. I see it far too often that people just consider the software output to be good enough and give little to no thought about the camera angle, speed and what they are trying to show. I am not saying that you need to do full storyboards but you do need to consider why you are doing this animation. Is it being done to fill time and make it look like you have done more than you really have? Often times less is more.
Take for example the recent Mars trip, the animations that were done for this were top notch (check out MER entry). Good camera angles and often times the main character (the rocket ship) was in and out of the shot. That is my point of pushing the architectural stale look of animations further.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
CAD and Customization
After a distressed e-mail from an old friend who needed to make many changes to a set of drawings I whipped up a small visual lisp routine for him to use and he remarked how many hours this has saved him just in these couple of drawings. This led into a good discussion of the many different ways to customize CAD to save you time.
One of my favorite things about AutoCAD is that you can customize it, other times my least favorite thing about AutoCAD is that you can customize it. :) Some of the many ways you can customize it are button macros, script files, lisp, visual lisp, VB, VBA and more. If you work with AutoCAD daily you should really look into learning ways to save you time. What the future holds for programming languages and AutoCAD is anyone's guess at this point, but I expect to see more .net. This would be good for you to know as this can then interface with many other programs to share and exchange information.
My wishlist for customization? I have been learning MAXScripting for VIZ/MAX and love the recorder. I have used this type of feature in other programs that basically give you the code for what you just did. Real programmers would never use this you say? For me I am not a daily programmer so this would give me the code start I need so I can focus on tweaking this into exactly what I need. Many times my coding is used to save time by doing repetitive tasks, other times it is done to create a command or tool that does not exist. That is what I love about this, many ways to do any task and many possible solutions when you add programming to your bag of tricks.
happy coding...
One of my favorite things about AutoCAD is that you can customize it, other times my least favorite thing about AutoCAD is that you can customize it. :) Some of the many ways you can customize it are button macros, script files, lisp, visual lisp, VB, VBA and more. If you work with AutoCAD daily you should really look into learning ways to save you time. What the future holds for programming languages and AutoCAD is anyone's guess at this point, but I expect to see more .net. This would be good for you to know as this can then interface with many other programs to share and exchange information.
My wishlist for customization? I have been learning MAXScripting for VIZ/MAX and love the recorder. I have used this type of feature in other programs that basically give you the code for what you just did. Real programmers would never use this you say? For me I am not a daily programmer so this would give me the code start I need so I can focus on tweaking this into exactly what I need. Many times my coding is used to save time by doing repetitive tasks, other times it is done to create a command or tool that does not exist. That is what I love about this, many ways to do any task and many possible solutions when you add programming to your bag of tricks.
happy coding...
Tadah....
Back from behind the disappearing curtain. Where have I been and why no updates? Sick, working and diving into MAXScripting and MAX 6.
Just finished up a new tutorial on MAXScripting that will be available at the VIZDepot in the next few hours. In my spare time I have offered my time to Steven to help make this great resource even better. If you get the chance stop by and visit the site.
happy rendering...
Just finished up a new tutorial on MAXScripting that will be available at the VIZDepot in the next few hours. In my spare time I have offered my time to Steven to help make this great resource even better. If you get the chance stop by and visit the site.
happy rendering...
Saturday, January 03, 2004
VIZ Resource
With the New Year bringing many changes the same goes for the VIZDepot which has a new look, content and more. Be sure to visit. Keep up the great work Steve!
Happy Rendering...
Happy Rendering...
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
Comment Test
With quite a few exchanges by e-mail, IRC, instant messanger, and discussion forums I am looking to add a comments button for all to enjoy and share in the knowledge. This may/may not last, so bear with me for a few days. :)
Happy Commenting...
Happy Commenting...
Preset Materials
Like many of you reading this I have work to do. What I mean by this is that in order to get paid I need to complete and deliver projects. I have a standard library of materials, scenes and settings that are used, re-used and updated as new materials get added/created for each job. Not everyone starting out has this luxury of a few years experience and many created textures/materials. What's a new user supposed to do?
For those of you just starting out with VIZ/Max, there is a new material type that will make life easier for use in Architectural renderings, it is the "Architectural" material. For those currently using VIZRender and Max 6 you have access to this, VIZ users will have to wait until the next release (first quarter of 2004). Why is this good for beginning users? With the many settings available to use in VIZ/Max it can seem overwhelming, believe me I know I have been where you are now.
The Architectural Material has a "template" to use for many common items (Ceramic Tile, Fabric, Glass, Masonry, Metal, Paint, Paper, Stone, Water, Wood and more) that will get you started with realistic looking materials that you can adjust to match your particular project needs. For VIZRender users this is your only Material Shader choice, for Max users you still have access to the same Material choices as before along with this one addition.
Happy Rendering in 2004...
For those of you just starting out with VIZ/Max, there is a new material type that will make life easier for use in Architectural renderings, it is the "Architectural" material. For those currently using VIZRender and Max 6 you have access to this, VIZ users will have to wait until the next release (first quarter of 2004). Why is this good for beginning users? With the many settings available to use in VIZ/Max it can seem overwhelming, believe me I know I have been where you are now.
The Architectural Material has a "template" to use for many common items (Ceramic Tile, Fabric, Glass, Masonry, Metal, Paint, Paper, Stone, Water, Wood and more) that will get you started with realistic looking materials that you can adjust to match your particular project needs. For VIZRender users this is your only Material Shader choice, for Max users you still have access to the same Material choices as before along with this one addition.
Happy Rendering in 2004...
Christmas Swing
After spending Christmas doing the family shuffle (in-laws, parents, grandparents, etc...) things are settling back down. Last night we enjoyed the Holiday Lights at the Beach with my in-laws.
Windsurfing Santa from the Holiday Lights at the Beach
A few days ago we visited the local Coleman's Nursery who put on a holiday tradition (39 years) of mechanical dolls and more in a Christmas Wonderland for all ages. Sadly though they are closing there doors after this season. I remember coming here as a child and marveling at the displays that were put together and some fresh hot apple cider when there is a nip to the air. If you live locally you have until Jan. 03, 2004 to visit.
Now that the new year is almost upon us we are getting back into the swing of things. Rendering wise I am currently working on some procedural textures and understanding the best uses for a variety of shaders to make some objects stand-out in some recent work that is due for delivery soon.
With the new year approaching I think it is time for a new look for this blog, keep an eye out for that (after this project goes out of course). ;)
Wishing you the best in 2004.
Happy Rendering...
Windsurfing Santa from the Holiday Lights at the Beach
A few days ago we visited the local Coleman's Nursery who put on a holiday tradition (39 years) of mechanical dolls and more in a Christmas Wonderland for all ages. Sadly though they are closing there doors after this season. I remember coming here as a child and marveling at the displays that were put together and some fresh hot apple cider when there is a nip to the air. If you live locally you have until Jan. 03, 2004 to visit.
Now that the new year is almost upon us we are getting back into the swing of things. Rendering wise I am currently working on some procedural textures and understanding the best uses for a variety of shaders to make some objects stand-out in some recent work that is due for delivery soon.
With the new year approaching I think it is time for a new look for this blog, keep an eye out for that (after this project goes out of course). ;)
Wishing you the best in 2004.
Happy Rendering...
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Festivus
Christmas is approaching like a whirlwind. With so much activity going on around us we can very easily lose track of the things that are happening around us and the reason for the season.
I have taken the week off from work to enjoy the season, town and family. With so many things going on this is a nice time to catch up with everyone. If you are doing any holiday renderings check out the following link for an RPC Santa Clause from Archvision.
Wishing you the best in 2004.
Happy Festivus...
I have taken the week off from work to enjoy the season, town and family. With so many things going on this is a nice time to catch up with everyone. If you are doing any holiday renderings check out the following link for an RPC Santa Clause from Archvision.
Wishing you the best in 2004.
Happy Festivus...
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Color Schemes, or Lack Thereof
One of the biggest issues I see on a daily basis with most renderings is the lack of a color scheme in the composition.
Have you ever looked at a rendering and noticed there is something that does not seem to work but you cannot pinpoint what it is? Most of the time this is due to the colors that are chosen conflicting with each other. Rather than using colors at random in your scenes you should try to focus on keeping your palette of colors in the same range. For more on this take another look at your color wheel and the principals that go with this. In some cases you can take artistic license to make some conflicts deliberate when you are trying to convey a particular look or feel. Unless you are doing this conscienously you may want to stay away from that for now.
Besides your material colors consider your lights sources and the light color you choose. I see it far too often in those just starting out that they consider an exterior scene to have one light only. Guess what the most common light source they pick? If you said sunlight you are correct. In general the issue is they choose default white as the single light source color. Why is this such a big deal, it works in nature just fine right? Not exactly as your digital canvas needs to have bounced light from the environment and other sources to mimic nature. I like to use one main colored light (color tinted) for a daytime exterior scene and a few fill lights of different colors to achieve the right look or feel, sometimes I do this just to play with my shadows or to add a glint off of metal to look more convincing as a material.
While there are many tricks you can use to get the right feel one thing you should try in your next rendering is changing the main light to a bold color to see the mood it conveys. Try a blue, green, red and more to see if any of these pull an emotion from you by looking at them. Do any of these light color changes make you feel cheerful, frightened, sad? Keep these in mind as they will probably elicit the same response from your client.
Happy Rendering...
Have you ever looked at a rendering and noticed there is something that does not seem to work but you cannot pinpoint what it is? Most of the time this is due to the colors that are chosen conflicting with each other. Rather than using colors at random in your scenes you should try to focus on keeping your palette of colors in the same range. For more on this take another look at your color wheel and the principals that go with this. In some cases you can take artistic license to make some conflicts deliberate when you are trying to convey a particular look or feel. Unless you are doing this conscienously you may want to stay away from that for now.
Besides your material colors consider your lights sources and the light color you choose. I see it far too often in those just starting out that they consider an exterior scene to have one light only. Guess what the most common light source they pick? If you said sunlight you are correct. In general the issue is they choose default white as the single light source color. Why is this such a big deal, it works in nature just fine right? Not exactly as your digital canvas needs to have bounced light from the environment and other sources to mimic nature. I like to use one main colored light (color tinted) for a daytime exterior scene and a few fill lights of different colors to achieve the right look or feel, sometimes I do this just to play with my shadows or to add a glint off of metal to look more convincing as a material.
While there are many tricks you can use to get the right feel one thing you should try in your next rendering is changing the main light to a bold color to see the mood it conveys. Try a blue, green, red and more to see if any of these pull an emotion from you by looking at them. Do any of these light color changes make you feel cheerful, frightened, sad? Keep these in mind as they will probably elicit the same response from your client.
Happy Rendering...
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Woes
After a delay in posting due to illness and a blown network card due from an electric storm I am back in business.
I am currently working on a rendering of a warehouse facility. This is pretty fun as I am doing a blend combination of a camera match with the new building. I used to be of the mindset to take care of most of the matching in post rendering composite work, but with my deeper exploration into VIZ/Max most of this can be done with very little touch-up needed.
If you have not had the chance to read digital Lighting & Rendering by Jeremy Birn I recommend you to read this. Many of the common mistakes/issues that your renderings have can be solved by reading the information contained in this book. This has given me a better understanding of the entire visualization process and some important steps that I have been overlooking or doing the hardway.
Current gripe that is bugging me, if only the next version of VIZ were available to work with the ADT 2004 .dwg file format in a timely manner. What has my VIZ subscription done for me so far over the past 2 years? Worked great until a new version of ADT with a file format change came out, now I have ADT2004 shelfware in some places. I cannot complain too much as I do like Max 6. :)
Happy Rendering...
I am currently working on a rendering of a warehouse facility. This is pretty fun as I am doing a blend combination of a camera match with the new building. I used to be of the mindset to take care of most of the matching in post rendering composite work, but with my deeper exploration into VIZ/Max most of this can be done with very little touch-up needed.
If you have not had the chance to read digital Lighting & Rendering by Jeremy Birn I recommend you to read this. Many of the common mistakes/issues that your renderings have can be solved by reading the information contained in this book. This has given me a better understanding of the entire visualization process and some important steps that I have been overlooking or doing the hardway.
Current gripe that is bugging me, if only the next version of VIZ were available to work with the ADT 2004 .dwg file format in a timely manner. What has my VIZ subscription done for me so far over the past 2 years? Worked great until a new version of ADT with a file format change came out, now I have ADT2004 shelfware in some places. I cannot complain too much as I do like Max 6. :)
Happy Rendering...
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